What is the relationship between an owl and a mouse

predator prey: owl and mice by b r on Prezi

How owls hunt and what owls eat. and Screech Owls feed on insects mostly, while Barn Owls eat mainly mice, The force of the impact is usually enough to stun the prey, which is then dispatched with a snap of the beak. Purpose: To study the relationship between the sizes of predator and prey In this simulation, each surviving mouse and owl will only produce ONE baby which . owls strongly preferred to seize the mouse on the head, while the little owls preferred the . There was no relationship between type of attack and grasp location.

The owl can gauge whether the sound reaches one ear before it reaches the other -- a time difference of only a few millionths of a second -- and turns in that direction until the sound reaches both ears at the same instant: Barn owls and other night owls have one ear set higher than the other, and the ear openings are set at different angles: The left, right, up and down signals create an exact image of the prey's location, even in total darkness.

Barn owls aren't only nocturnal. Their excellent eyesight means they can hunt in the daytime too, and often do so with a clutch of hungry chicks to be fed. Even hiding under several inches of snow won't save a rat from an owl. The owl lands right on top of the rat, outstretched talons first, then breaks its neck with a twist of the beak. Here's an excellent series of photos of a Great Gray Owl doing just that: They fly without effort and can glide slowly for long periods of time, quartering the land up and down in search of their prey, then flying in fast for the kill.

Owls, and barn owls, are found all round the world, and in a wide variety of habitats -- wherever there are rodents. It's mostly barn owls that farmers around the world are now using for rodent control. They're easily encouraged by installing nest-boxes and perches. Barn owls breed any time during the year, depending on the food supply.

A pair may breed twice in a year, and barn owls have been known to nest all year round, raising as many as four clutches.

They have a tremendous reproductive capacity and can breed rapidly in response to rodent plagues. Their diet includes invertebrates such as insects, spiders, earthworms, snails and crabsfish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals. The main food largely depends on the species of Owl. For example, Scops and Screech Owls feed on insects mostly, while Barn Owls eat mainly mice, shrews and voles.

Evo-Ed: Mouse Fur Ecology

Larger Owls such as the Eagle Owl will prey upon hares, young foxes and birds up to the size of ducks and gamebirds. Although certain species have these preferences for food type, most owls are opportunistic, and will take whatever prey is available in the area. Northern Pygmy Owl with prey.

Owls generally have a hunting territory away from their daytime roost. All Owls are equipped with special adaptations that make them efficient predators. Keen eyesight allows them locate quarry even on dim nights.

Sensitive, directional hearing helps locate concealed prey. Some species can even hunt in complete darkness using sound alone to guide them to a successful kill.

If a snoozing owl is disturbed during the day, it will often do its best to pretend it is part of the tree in which it is roosting. This is called the erect posture. Owls exhibiting this posture stretch themselves as tall as they can with their ear tufts standing straight up. They will also close their eyes until they are only slits. Standing perfectly still, they blend almost completely into the branches, fooling possible enemies. Another interesting posture they use is called the defensive posture.

This is most often used by young owls that are not yet ready to fly. When threatened the owl will fluff up its feathers making it look twice as big. To further increase its size, the bird will raise its wings over its back like a large fan and spread its tail feathers. Add some hissing and bill clacking and a young owl can look like a pretty scary critter. Most potential enemies find this posture very convincing and quickly leave the young owl alone. Adult birds will sometimes use a defensive posture, especially if the bird is injured and on the ground.

A number of owl species are well known for the defense of their nests and young. Great horned owls, in particular, have a reputation for being very fierce when defending their youngsters. The adults will dive bomb intruders, hitting them with their talons and feet. Ornithologists studying these large owls are very careful when they are doing anything around an active great horned owl nest.

Night Life When we think of owls, we think of being active at night. But even among the owls, enjoying the nightlife does not always mean the same thing. Several of Idaho's owls are strictly nocturnal. The barn owl and long-eared owl become active only after dark. In contrast, burrowing owls and pygmy owls are more likely to be diurnal — active during the day. And the great horned owl is crepuscular.

This means that it is most active at dawn and dusk. So, why are these owls out at different times of the day and night?

Because many owls share habitats, being active at different times might help reduce competition between the different kinds of owls. In addition, different prey species are also active at different times of night. Owls need to be able to hunt at the same time that their food is active to make sure that they get dinner! Migration Most owls do not make long migrations. They usually live in the same place all year long. One exception is the insect-eating flammulated owl.

These owls migrate south each fall to find the insects they need to survive. Sometimes, owls are forced to move because their prey becomes scarce. When this happens over a large area, many owls may leave their home territory and travel far to find food.

This is called an irruptionand it can be very spectacular as thousands of owls move into a new area to find food. Such an irruption of owls happened several winters ago in Minnesota. Birdwatchers all over the state were thrilled with sightings of several owl species rare to Minnesota.

Evo-Ed: Integrative Cases in Evolution Education

Residents of western mountain towns are sometimes treated to mini-irruptions of their own as owls living at higher elevations move down in elevation to find food during harsh winters. Owl Nests We mostly notice owls when we hear them.

And they are the most vocal during the nesting season. Owls call to establish their territory and attract a mate. Owl calls vary depending upon the species.

In general, large owls make lower calls than smaller owls and males have lower pitched calls than females. If you have a pair of great horned owls in your neighborhood, listen to them and see if you can tell the male from the female.

Owl Food & Hunting

Along with calling, many owls use flight displays during courtship. Once the pair has mated, they begin to look for a good nest site. Owls do not build their own nests. Some species use old hawk, crow or raven nests. A few others use a scrape on the ground, and a number of small owls nest in tree cavities or nest boxes. Incubation begins when the first round white egg is laid. During incubation, the male will feed the female and both parents take care of the nestlings.

Most owl species lay 2—7 eggs that hatch in about 3—4 weeks. Young owls leave the nest from 27—70 days after hatching, with larger owls staying in the nest longer.

Some of the tree-nesting owlets do something called branchingin which they climb around on tree trunks and branches before they can fly. Owlets stay with their parents for most of the summer before finding a territory of their own. Observing Owls Because owls are nocturnal, observing them can be challenging. Begin your study of owls by spending time looking at the owl section of a field guide to birds.

This will help you learn to tell one species from another. A field guide can also help you learn about the kinds of habitats different owls prefer as well as their different calls Contact your regional Fish and Game office to learn about bird watching groups such as Audubon clubs that are active in your area.

If you have a pair of owls in your neighborhood, listen to them at night to learn their calls.

By moving quietly, you can sometimes get close enough to see the birds. Even though it is dark, use binoculars so you do not disturb the birds. On camping trips, take some time at night for quiet listening to see if any owls are calling. And visit places where some of our daytime owls like the burrowing owl live.